Multicast content provider

• US 8,683,065 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dickens, Christopher Scott, Yaqoob, Asad, Syed, Saad, Young, Blaine
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US11/824,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/231, 709/232, 709/230, 709/219, 370/390, 370/432, 370/338, 375/260, 455/432.1, 713/163, 705/51
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

A multicast content provider operates on a multicast server in conjunction with a multicast transmission protocol that is independent of the content data transmitted and allows extensibility in the content provider to distribute any type of content. The content provider module is designed to find, read, write, and transform particular types of data into a form acceptable for transmission by the transmission protocol on the multicast server. The transmission protocol is agnostic to the type, size, format, or location of the data file. The content provider module manages these issues so that the transmission protocol does not have to. This relationship between the content provider module and the transmission protocol establishes a “generic” multicast solution, capable of complete flexibility with regard to content delivery.

Claims

1. A method on a computer server for multicasting data to a number of client devices comprising:

exposing the data from a storage location through an application outside of control of a multicast transmission protocol operating on the computer server;

creating a data stream of the data from the storage location in a format acceptable for transmission according to the multicast transmission protocol, further comprising dividing the data into a number of data blocks for transmission; and

transmitting a first portion of the data blocks to a first client device upon initiation of a transmission session according to the multicast transmission protocol;

receiving an indication that a second client device has joined the transmission session; and

if the first portion of data blocks has already been transmitted, transmitting a second portion of the data blocks to both the first client device and the second client device, further including transmitting to the second client device information regarding a total number of data blocks in the transmission, the multicast transmission protocol being agnostic to data type and the multicast transmission protocol polling at least one of the first client device and the second client device to determine a block of the data not yet received by at least one of the first client device and the second client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ensuring that an original form of the data is maintained for access until conclusion of the transmission session when the data is updated at the storage location during the transmission session.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new request for the data from one of the client devices; and

initiating a new transmission session to expose the updated data from the storage location when the data is updated during the transmission session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a security policy for the transmission session by authorizing the client devices to join the transmission session through the application outside of control of the multicast transmission protocol.

5. The method of claims 1, wherein the transmitting operation transmits the blocks of the data in a non sequential order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the data from multiple storage locations in order to create the data stream.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new request for a second set of data from the first and second client devices concurrent with the transmission session;

exposing the second set of data from a second storage location through a second application outside of control of a multicast transmission protocol operating on the computer server;

creating a second data stream of the second set of data from the second storage location in a format acceptable for transmission according to the multicast transmission protocol; and

transmitting the second set of data to the first and second client devices during a second transmission session according to the multicast transmission protocol, where in the multicast transmission protocol is agnostic to data type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a separate network connection for transmission of the second set of data; and

authorizing client devices joined to the transmission session to join the second transmission session, wherein the authorization operation is performed through the second application outside of control of the multicast transmission protocol.

9. A server device for multicasting data to a number of client devices comprising:

a multicast server module that transmits data to one or more of the client devices during a transmission session according to a transmission protocol that is agnostic to data type, the multicast server module determining a portion of a data set a first client device is missing and a portion of the data set a second client device is missing by polling the first client device and the second client device, the data set being multicast by the server computer in a multicasting session, the first client device and the second client device having joined the multicast session in progress at different times, the multicast server sending respective missing data portions to the first client device and the second client device; and

a content provider module that exposes the data from a storage location and provides the data to the server module in a format acceptable for transmission according to the transmission protocol.

10. The server computer of claim 9, wherein when the data is divisible into a plurality of blocks, the content provider module further provides non sequential access to the blocks of the data.

11. The server computer of claim 9, wherein when the data is updated during the transmission session, the content provider module further ensures that an original form of the data is maintained for access until conclusion of the transmission session.

12. The server computer of claim 9, wherein when the data is updated during the transmission session and upon receipt of a new request for the data from one of the client devices, the content provider module further initiates a new transmission session to expose the updated data from the storage location.

13. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the content provider module further applies a security policy for the transmission session by authorizing the client devices to join the transmission session.

14. The server computer of claim 9, further comprising;

a second content provider module that exposes a second set of data from a second storage location and provides the second data to the multicast server module in a format acceptable for transmission according to the transmission protocol.

15. A computer-readable storage device having computer-executable instructions for performing steps of a method for multicasting data to a number of client devices, the method comprising:

exposing the data from a storage location through an application outside of control of a multicast transmission protocol operating on a computer server;

creating a data stream of the data from the storage location in a format acceptable for transmission according to the multicast transmission protocol, further comprising dividing the data into a number of data blocks for transmission; and

transmitting a first portion of the data blocks to a first of client device upon initiation of a transmission session according to the multicast transmission protocol;

receiving an indication that a second client device has joined the transmission session; and

if the first portion of data blocks has already been transmitted, transmitting a second portion of the data blocks to both the first client device and the second client device, further including transmitting to the second client device information regarding a total number of data blocks in the transmission, the multicast transmission protocol being agnostic to data type and the multicast transmission protocol polling at least one of the first client device and the second client device to determine a block of the data not yet received by at least one of the first client device and the second client device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

ensuring that an original form of the data is maintained for access until conclusion of the transmission session when the data is updated at the storage location during the transmission session.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

applying a security policy for the transmission session by authorizing the client devices to join the transmission session through the application outside of control of the multicast transmission protocol.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

accessing the data from multiple storage locations in order to create the data stream.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

using a sorting scheme to determine a prioritization order for transmitting additional data blocks in subsequent transmissions to the first client device and the second client device within the transmission session.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an indication that at least one of the first client device and the second client device has exited the transmission session.